Stuck in the Future
by Jose Chung
Summary: Takes place in future, after the episode Back to the Future. Phil has a plan on how to get back to the past and reunite with Keely. In the past, Keely grieves, and thinks of a way to communicate with her future boyfriend.
1. Prologue

Stuck in the Future – A Phil of the Future Fanfic

by Jose Chung

Author's Note: After I saw the potential series finale of Phil of the Future, _Back to the Future_, my mind filled with ideas on how to continue the story. So I began reading some fanfiction to see how other creative minds would take the story. I quickly realized that my vision was unique enough that I might as well put my thoughts into words. Before you read here's what you should and shouldn't expect. Don't expect Phil to be reunited with Keely anytime soon. That story has been told to death and doesn't particularly interest me. My story will be about _getting_ them back together. But on that note, don't expect either Phil or Keely to move on, or a complete lack of any Pheely moments either! Do expect a story that largely takes place in the future, from Phil's point of view, that is heavier on narrative than it is on dialogue. Do expect a grander adventure that would be more suitable for a movie than a 20 minute episode. The following is just a prologue to whet your appetite. I plan on continuing the story regardless of fan support, but if support is overwhelming, it may motivate me to write in a more timely fashion. If you read this, please leave comments, and please be critical. In fact, be brutal if you must. I am writing this for fun, but I also want it to be as good as it possibly can be.

Prologue

Phil Diffy was buckled tight into his seat in his family's time machine, along with his parents, Barbara and Lloyd, and his younger sister Pim. Phil and his family were returning to the year 2121 from a prolonged time vacation. The Diffy's time machine had broken down in the early 21st century, where the family was stranded for nearly two years. Phil met some amazing friends during his stay in the past, including girlfriend and love of his life, Keely Teslow, and a caveman he had named Curtis.

After traveling to the Stone Age, Curtis stowed away on the Diffy's time machine and became a member of their family in the 21st century. When Lloyd finally managed to fix the time machine, he and Barb decided it was best to return Curtis to the Stone Age where he belonged.

So Phil Diffy was faced with the very real possibility of never seeing some of the greatest friends, in the truest sense of the word, a person could ask for. Yet you wouldn't know it by looking at his face. There was no hint of sadness or regret on Phil's face; no blank stare or signs of emotional shock. And while Phil Diffy wasn't particularly known for wearing his emotions on his sleeves, he never tried too hard to keep his feelings inside either. Phil's face was not expressionless; clear emotions were there. They just weren't the types of emotions one would expect from a person dealing with the type of loss Phil was dealing with. Rather than like a person in emotional despair, Phil's face read like a person who was confident and determined. That's because, for Phil, there was no chance he would never see his friends again. He'd be time traveling back to them very soon, and he knew exactly how he was going to do it.

Back in the year 2006, Keely Teslow was eating lunch by herself under a tree in the field behind H.G. Wells Junior/Senior High School. Like Phil, emotions could clearly be read on her face. Keely's face, however, read more like you'd expect a person who was facing the proposition of never seeing her boyfriend again. Then Keely looked up at the tree she was eating under and read the message her not then yet boyfriend had written only a few short weeks ago: "Keely and Phil Friends Forever." She smiled for the first time since Phil had left. Still, she wished that she and Phil would be remembered eternally as more than just friends…

The Diffy's return trip to the year 2121 had been rather uneventful, until suddenly, the machine began rocking much like an airplane flying through turbulence. The time turbulence was accompanied by loud beeping and buzzing, and finally, without Lloyd's prompt, the machine's final destination changed from 2121 to 2123…


	2. Chapter 1: 2123

Chapter 1 – 2123

The Diffy's arrived in the year 2123, quite confused. The confusion was quickly wiped away as the family was approached by a short, stocky man, with wiry black hair and a thick bushy mustache. He was dressed in black slacks and a long sleeved blue shirt, and wore a badge: "Time Police".

"In accordance with U.S. Law #48151, "Thanks to the Diffy's", you have been returned to the year 2123, exactly 15 months, 3 days, 6 hours, 42 minutes, and 15 seconds after you departed the 22nd century. Section 62342 of said law mandates that 'All returning time travelers must return to the time equal to when they initially departed plus the duration of their time trip' You're bodies are all 15 months older now than when you left, so we've returned you 15 months later. Now, my people will fit your time machine with equipment to prevent its illegal use. Good day."

Phil had expected this much, and it didn't affect his plan.

It took the Diffy's a few days to settle back into their future home. On an early April morning, Phil and Pim were preparing for their first ever day of school in the future. Real school that is. Before their time trip, Phil and Pim had always attended school virtually. After seeing first hand the benefits of an education at a physical location, Barb and Lloyd decided to enroll their children at Pickford High.

The family was gathered in the kitchen for breakfast. In the background, the voice of U.S. President Benjamin Arnold could be heard coming from the family holovision, the futuristic successor to the TV.

"My fellow Americans, it is imperative that you are all aware of the new conditions that must be met if you wish to time travel. All time travel is regulated, and violators will be punished to the full extent of the law. Prospective time travelers must fill out the appropriate forms pleading their case, and await federal approval. Currently, requests for time travel of a recreational nature are being unilaterally denied. Many of the accepted requests have involved the pursuit of scientific research, although the National Time Travel Authority will consider any reason you give outside of recreation. My hope is that this situation will be temporary. We have very smart people doing research on time travel that will hopefully ensure its safety in the near future…" The president continued on, but it was time for Phil and Pim to get to school.

"Thanks Phil, now I'll never see my grandma again."

"Thanks Phil for ruining my sister's honeymoon."

"Thanks Phil for putting my parents out of job."

This is the reception Phil expected upon returning to the future.

"Phil! Hey Phil! Over here!"

At least someone was excited to see him. Phil turned toward the excited voice to see his good friend Curtis Jennings. It was Curtis that Phil had named his friend from the Stone Age after.

"Curtis! Good to see ya buddy! I forgot you went to Pickford." This was an easy thing to forget. Curtis's father, Bob Jennings, was one of the leading engineers on the virtual education project 20 years ago. So, it was ironic that he would send his son to a physical school. Ever since the virtual education project was completed, fervent debate took place over which was superior. Early studies showed that neither had a clear advantage over the other, so both managed to peacefully co-exist.

"Yeah! Long time no see man! Listen, I have somewhere to be, we'll catch up at lunch. But I've got an extra ticket to tonight's Dodger game. Koufax vs. Clemens. . Should be a classic. Oh, and Mickey is starting at third! You in?"

"Definitely." Phil forgot how much he missed baseball. It was the one game that had truly passed the test of time. It was basically the same game now that it was 100 years ago. Sure, umpires were completely replaced by invisible lasers and motion sensors, but the game was still played the same way. One thing Phil regretted about his stay in the 21st century is that he never got to see an old fashioned baseball game. He'd asked Keely to go a couple times, but she didn't seem interested. He decided not to push the issue. And now Curtis's brother Mickey had made it big time! Phil always knew he had it in him.

Morning classes flew by as Phil managed to zone out and ignore the insults that flew at him from every direction. Before meeting up with Curtis for lunch, Phil decided to take a detour. He wanted to see if it was still there. Sure enough, it was exactly where it ought to be; the tree Phil had used to eternalize his friendship with Keely by making a carving with his Wzard. Only the message on the tree wasn't exactly how Phil remembered it. "Friends Forever" had been scraped away, and "Keely and Phil" was now surrounded by a heart. Phil Diffy nearly cried. Despite having a plethora of futuristic technology at his disposal, it was Keely, a girl from the past, who had first managed to communicate with Phil.


	3. Chapter 2: A New Hope

Chapter 2 – A New Hope

Phil was sitting next to his best friend from the future, Curtis, at TWC© (The Wzard Company©) Stadium. They were seated alongside the third base line, close to the field, so that they could see into the home dugout. Phil took in the atmosphere. It had been some time since he had been to a baseball game. The lights, the pre-game music, the players stretching and warming up, the children begging the superstars for autographs, all contributed to the unique setting, but more than anything, it was the smell of beer and hotdogs that overwhelmed Phil's senses. It was a good smell.

"Hey! Mickey! Over here!", Phil's friend called out toward his brother, who was walking toward third base. Mickey Jennings looked a lot like his brother, only he was at least 4 inches taller at about 6 foot, 5 inches, and was quite a bit more filled out. Both brothers had curly, light blonde hair, and fair skin covered in freckles. Mickey approached the sideline, and Curtis ran down to greet his brother.

"Phil! Good to see you! Thanks for coming out tonight!", Mickey greeted Phil with a handshake and a pat on the back.

"Are you kidding? How could I pass up seats like these on a night like this?", Phil replied.

"Gotta go guys. I'll see you after the game. I'll give you a tour of the clubhouse, and you can meet the team!", Mickey shouted as he back peddled toward his spot at third base.

Just then, the center field wall opened up, and TWC Stadium absolutely erupted. Sandy Koufax began his jog from the bullpen to the pitcher's mound. Yes, _that_ Sandy Koufax. The former NL MVP, 3 time Cy Young Award winner, 2 time World Series MVP, and Hall of Famer Sandy Koufax. Or maybe not, depending on who asked. Genetically, _that_ Sandy Koufax and the one approaching the mound in front of 50,000 plus screaming fans were identical.

In the future, cloning was experimented with, perfected, became widespread, and finally outlawed. This was mostly driven by baseball. Debates between diehard fans over whether players from the past could compete with players from the present had always been a part of the national pastime. Cloning presented the unique opportunity to answer these questions. These debates actually fueled and sped up research on cloning more than anything else. Like the children who argue relentlessly whether Batman could really stand a chance against Superman (definitely!), men and women with Ph.D's in biology and a passion for baseball worked tirelessly until human cloning could be done reliably.

That's not to say there weren't any bumps along the road. The botched cloning of Abraham Lincoln resulted in one of the most disgraced presidencies in American history, but even that catastrophe didn't get in the way. Eventually, clones populated professional sports, and Sandy Koufax, Roger Clemens, Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez, and Ken Griffey Jr. were once again household names. The clones soon began to dominate the game. Cloning was outlawed not because it set back American politics for 50 years. It was outlawed because it tarnished the great American pastime. Ten years from now, there wouldn't be any clones left in the league, and Phil was ecstatic about the opportunity to witness a legendary match up between Sandy Koufax and Roger Clemens.

Heading into the bottom of the 9th, the game had lived up to everyone's expectations, except for Curtis's. That's because Mickey had yet to reach base safely and struck out 3 times, including 2 times looking. That wasn't exactly Mickey's fault, as the rest of his team had struck out 12 times and managed to scrape together only 3 singles. But Curtis had high expectations of his brother. Mickey stepped into the batters box with 1 out, no one on, and no score to face Clemens for the fourth time that night.

Fastball in the eyes. Mickey swung right through it.

"Strike one!"

Splitter in the dirt. Mickey started to swing again, but this time held up.

"Didn't go! Ball one!"

Next came a curve, low and away. But apparently not too far away.

"Strike two!" Mickey was visibly upset with the call.

Another splitter. Mickey knew it was coming and didn't bite.

"Ball two! The count is two and two."

A fastball down the middle. This one Mickey could handle. He stepped forward, twisted his body, flipped his wrists, and made contact with the baseball. Hard contact. Homerun contact. Mickey jogged around the bases and was a greeted by his teammates at home plate.

"One for four. Not bad.", Curtis greeted his brother in the Dodger clubhouse. He was only half kidding.

"I'd like to see you just take a step in the batter's box against the Rocket. The stuff he had tonight. Scary. Hey Jake, come meet my brother Curtis and his friend Phil! Listen guys, I have some things to take care of. Make yourselves comfortable. See you in 10?" An exhilarated yet clearly exhausted Mickey Jennings took off.

So Curtis and Phil met the team, and collected autographs. Ten minutes later they met up with Mickey outside his locker.

"Dad, I wish you could have seen it. Yeah, a laser. At least 450 feet.", Mickey recounted to his father. Mickey saw Curtis and Phil, and held up a finger, as if to say "_Just a minute_."

"Hey Curtis, I thought your dad was a on a time trip in the past?", Phil asked his friend.

"He is. Dad's working for the government, trying to work out the kinks in time travel so people can feel safe again. That's a prototype my Dad is working on that Mickey is using. It lets you talk with people that are in different parts of time space", Curtis responded robotically.

"Curtis, I have got to get my hands on one of those." Phil's plan just got a whole lot better.

Author's Note: Sorry for the lack of Keely. One of my next two chapters will be dedicated to her. The other will detail Phil's plan. I just haven't decided what order I'm going to write them. Thanks for the comments!


	4. Chapter 3: A Long Time Ago

Chapter 3 – A long time ago…

The bell rang, signaling the end of second period. Keely Teslow collected her books and made her way to the front of the classroom.

"Hold on a minute, Ms. Teslow."

It was Mr. Hackett. _What does he want?_

"Where were you this morning Ms. Teslow?", the vice principal inquired.

"Ummmm… here. I mean, in school. I came to school on time today. Sir", Keely responded in a tired voice.

"The morning announcements Ms. Teslow! Where were you? Matthew McNamara had to fill in."

"Oh, didn't I tell you? I quit." Keely darted for the door.

"I'm not finished Ms. Teslow. You're grades are slipping. You're not participating in school functions or extra curricular activities. If something is wrong Ms. Teslow, might I suggest a visit with the school counselor?"

"I thought you were the school counselor." Keely rolled her eyes.

"I'm your algebra teacher Ms. Teslow. Neil Hackett is the school counselor. Stop by sometime, I hear he's a very good listener."

_What a strange, pathetic man. _"Thanks for the suggestion, but I think I'll pass."

"Ms. Teslow, might I remind you that the college application process is not far away? I certainly hope you weren't counting on a glowing letter of recommendation from the H.G. Wells' well regarded vice principal, because unless you get your act together, you won't be getting one. Now get to class Ms. Teslow".

Keely left the classroom in an even worse mood, and made her way to third period with Via.

"Hey Keely, wait up!" It was Matt McNamara. "Got a second?"

Matt McNamara was a tall boy, with sandy blonde hair and blue eyes. His hair was long and unkempt, but it suited him. He was handsome, to say the least. Keely had a crush on him before she met Phil.

Keely ignored Matt, and turned to Via. "Maybe it would help people out if I just wore a sign that said, 'LEAVE ME ALONE!'"

"Sorry if I'm interrupting something. It's about the morning news", Matt apologized, despite having done nothing wrong at all.

"Congratulations Matty! The job is yours! I just told Mr. Hackett that I quit".

"But that's just it, I don't want the job. I just wanted to make sure you'd be back tomorrow, but apparently…"

"I quit." Keely finished his sentence.

"That's too bad. You were a natural. In that case, you think you could help me with the transition? Give me some pointers sometime?"

"Listen carefully Matt, here's all you need to know. Look into the camera. Smile. Read the queue cards. It's as simple as that". Just then, the bell rang. "Great, now I'm late. Thanks, Matt!"

Matt smiled, and walked away. _He smiled. What's his problem? Does he think I'm funny or something?_

"What's the deal Keely? He was just being nice. Matt McNamara was just being nice to you, and you might as well have spit in his face", Via asked her friend.

"He's such a phony. I don't need people to be nice to me. I'd rather them be sincere".

"Maybe he was being sincere. You don't even know him. Why don't you try to get to know him Keely?"

"How many times do I have to remind you Via, I'm with Phil!"

"How many times has Phil called or written since he moved Keely? Face it, he's over you. And maybe it's time you got over him!"

"If you were my friend Via, you'd know why I can't do that". Keely stormed off.

For the first time in her life, Keely Teslow felt like she had no friends. She couldn't accurately explain her feelings to anyone. To everyone around her, the Diffy's disappearance was so odd. One day they were here, the next they were gone without a trace. Keely felt truly alone.

At lunch, Keely walked past Via's table, pretending not to notice, and made her way to the corner to sit by herself.

"Is this seat taken?" It was Matt McNamara.

_This creep again. What kind of signal do I have to send to get him to leave me alone? Maybe if I say nothing, he'll go away._

Matt took a seat, pretending that Keely had invited him to do so, even though she had in fact said nothing.

"Listen Keely. I'm sorry if I said something earlier to offend you. I was just trying to be friendly. If you don't want any company, I'll leave you alone". Matt began to get up.

"Matt, wait". Keely was only now beginning to feel badly about her rude behavior. "I'm the one that owes you an apology. I'm going through a tough time right now, but it was no excuse for my rudeness. I'm sorry".

"Do you feel like talking about it?", Matt asked sincerely.

Keely sensed the sincerity in the way Matt posed the question. "No… not right now. Soon though, I think".

"Okay. How about this Friday? Wanna get coffee or something?", Matt asked.

"Yeah. Coffee sounds good"

Keely realized immediately that she might be getting herself into a murky situation. But she needed a friend. Someone to confide in. Someone like Phil. And she thought Matt might be that person.

_Phil wouldn't want me to be miserable. He'd want me to make new friends. I just have to make it clear to Matt that friendship is all I'm looking for._

This is how Keely justified the date to herself.

"Listen, I wish I could tell you everything. But I can't. All I can tell you is that Phil's family was suddenly uprooted, and I haven't talked to him since. I may never get to see him again. So that's why I've been so depressed recently", Keely explained to Matt at the coffee shop.

Matt's eyes lit up for just a second.

_Oh no. His eyes. He's interested, and he thinks he just saw an opportunity. I have to tell him I'm not interested._

"What, is he in witness protection or something?", Matt asked.

"Something like that". _Why didn't I think of that? What a great excuse! If I told mom or Via that, maybe they could have sympathized with my situation better. Okay, focus Keely. You have to tell him. Now._

"Listen Matt…", Keely began. But the words wouldn't come out. "I'm having a great time tonight. Thanks. For everything".

After the date, Matt walked Keely to her doorstep.

_Oh no. That look. He's going to kiss me. What have I gotten myself into? Why didn't I just tell him I wanted to be friends. I don't want to betray Phil!_

Instead, Matt placed his hand on Keely's cheek, and hugged her. "Goodnight Keely".

"Goodnight Matt". Keely gave a sigh of relief. She felt warm inside. It was the first time she felt that way since Phil had left.

Author's Note: I've got two finals on Thursday that I should be studying all day for. But if I get enough reviews, I promise I'll have another chapter up sometime Wednesday. This chapter was a detour from the story I want to tell, but I felt it was important to show Keely's perspective. Next chapter will be back to the future, and should shed some light on Phil's plan to return to 2006. Oh, and I realized as I was writing this that I gave Matt the same name as a character from the show Nip/Tuck. It's coincidental, as this Matt isn't supposed to be like that Matt in any way.


	5. Chapter 4: Convergence

Chapter 4 – Convergence

Phil didn't get much sleep after he got back from the baseball game. He told Curtis all about Keely, and Curtis agreed to help Phil get his hands on his father's technology. He said he'd bring something to school the next day that would help him reach his girlfriend.

"Here it is Phil. Just plug this into your Wizrd, follow the installation steps that appear on screen, and you've go yourself a fully backward compatible time phone". Curtis handed Phil a small stamp sized computer chip.

"Thanks a ton Curtis. You have no idea what this means. Now I just have to figure out how to get one to Keely in the past so we can talk whenever we like".

"Phil. It's backward compatible. That means you can use this to call any telephone in the space-time continuum. Just input a specific time and the appropriate telephone number. Just don't tell anyone I gave you this. Could get my dad in big trouble.", Curtis explained.

The bell rang, and students dispersed from the Pickford High hallway and made their way to class. But Phil didn't hear it. In a few short hours he'd be talking to the love of his life.

* * *

Keely and Matt were eating lunch together in the H.G. Wells cafeteria.

"So… how come you don't talk to Via anymore?", Matt inquired.

"We had a fight. I was being rude with her, she said something mean about Phil, and then I told her that she wasn't a true friend. I want to apologize, I just don't know how", Keely explained.

"Don't apologize. You did nothing wrong". Matt was poking at his lunch with his fork, but not eating. He had a tired look on his face. Keely noticed, but didn't say anything.

"You think? I think I want to apologize anyway though. Hey, did you hear about the body they found in Pickford lake?" Keely asked, changing the subject.

"Yeah. It's horrible. We still on for tennis this afternoon?"

"Oh, yeah, I'm looking forward to it", Keely responded in a surprised tone. Matt didn't look like he had the energy for tennis.

After school, Keely and Matt made their way over to the school's tennis courts. After warming up a bit, Matt opted to serve first.

"I have to warn you, my serve is nasty. Actually, I'll just use my second serve", Matt said confidently.

"Hey, no holding back now. When I beat you I don't want there to be any excuses". Keely lined up at the baseline, ready to return serve. Matt served the tennis ball into the back corner of the service box, towards Keely's forehand side. The ball had a lot of pace and topspin. But Keely handled it well, returning it down the line with even more pace. Matt was unable to get to it. He banged his racket against the court in frustration.

"Alright Teslow, if that's how you want to play, you got it". Matt didn't seem as confident now.

Keely proceeded to unleash on Matt a barrage of aces, winners, volleys, drop shots, and smashes, until she had won decisively.

"Man, I can't believe I just got beat by a girl", Matt said, exasperated. He was out of breath and red in the face.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Keely couldn't help but notice that Matt was acting out of character all day, as if something was wrong. So she decided to brush off the sexist comment.

"Yeah well, gotta split Keely. See you in school tomorrow".

"Hold on Matt, is everything alright?"

"Yeah, I just forgot about some errands I said I'd run before my dad got back from his business trip. Don't have much time"

Keely gave her friend a concerned look and waved goodbye. Just then, her cell phone rang. Keely looked to see who was calling. Unknown caller. Keely was curious as to who the caller might be.

"Hello?"

"Hey Keels! It's Phil!"

"Phil? You're back? Where are you?" Keely's face lit up.

"Actually, I'm still in the future. My friend's dad invented this device that allows me to call people in the past."

"Oh man, that is so awesome! Now we can talk all the time!" Keely tried to sound enthusiastic, but Phil picked up on her disappointment that they wouldn't be able to see each other in the flesh.

"I know it's not ideal Keels, but it's better than what we had before, which was nothing. And if everything goes according to plan, I should be making a trip to the 21st century in the not too distant future. Or past. Heh, that's confusing".

"Really! That's awesome! What's the plan?" Keely's face again lit up.

"Well, time travel is currently being regulated by the government. Any time trip you want to make has to be approved by the government, and you need to have a good reason to go. So, I'm taking this class on the 21st century, and I have to do a research project for it. I filled out an application to do my project over the course of a week in 2006. I should have an answer in a few days", Phil explained.

"What about after that? Are you going to have to go through this process every time?", Keely asked, concerned.

"One step at a time Keels".

Keely and Phil spent all afternoon and night on the phone with each other, until they both fell asleep. They filled each other in on everything that was going on with their lives. Well, almost everything, as Keely forgot to tell Phil about a certain blonde haired boy who she used to have a crush on and was now spending most of her time with. Nothing was going on between her and Matt, Keely convinced herself, but now was not the appropriate time to worry Phil.

**Author's Note: Okay, the plot is starting to move along. I have to warn you, it will be taking some unexpected turns. And please review people! I know people are reading from the stats page. Just a few sentences is all I'm asking for.**


	6. Chapter 5: Revelations

Chapter 5 – Revelations

"Pim! Can't you read! It's addressed to me! Hand it over!", Phil shouted at his sister, who was tearing open an envelope the mail man had just hand delivered.

Hand delivered mail was a rarity in the 22nd century. It was used mostly by the government, for matters of the utmost importance. This particular envelope was addressed to one Phillip Diffy, from the United States Department of Time Travel. Pim thought she'd take the unique opportunity to get her older brother in a bit of trouble.

"Mom! Dad! I have something here that may be of interest to you!". Pim now had the open letter in hand, and read it aloud to Barb and Lloyd, who were drinking coffee in the kitchen.

_Mr. Diffy:_

_We are pleased to inform you that your request to time travel to the year 2006 has been granted. You may depart on April 30, stay in the 21st century for a week's time, and return by May 7th. It is up to you to make any necessary arrangements. Attached you will find a passcode that must be entered into your time machine in order for you to depart without alerting the authorities. Travel Safely._

_Thomas Warner _

_United States Department of Time Travel._

"Listen. Mom. Dad. I was going to tell you. It's supposed to be for a class research project, but the truth is, I finished that project a week ago. I know all there is to know about the 21st century after living there for 2 years. I just need to see Keely. Please understand", Phil explained to his parents before they had a chance to say anything.

"How dare you attempt something like this under our noses! This is absolutely out of the question! You are not old enough to time travel alone! And son, Keely is a nice girl, but she died 40 years ago! It's time to live in the present!" Lloyd Diffy was visibly red in the face.

"Lloyd! Let's try and not say anything we'll regret. I agree that Phil should have consulted us with this plan, but he's clearly in love, and nothing, not even time, should keep two people who love each other apart", Barb interjected.

"Thanks Mom. Dad, I'm not a kid anymore. And I've worked the time machine by myself before. It's not like it's that complicated!" It wasn't often that Phil stood up to his father. He usually respected his father's opinions, but this was about getting a chance to see Keely.

"I'm sorry Phil. I'm just worried about your future. You're going to be applying to colleges soon. You have to start thinking about your future. If your mind is preoccupied with the past, I'm worried you might throw your future away". Lloyd was now sitting down, visibly more calm. He seemed to be regretting his overreaction to Phil's plan, but he still did not like it.

"You have to trust me Dad. I'm a responsible person. When have I ever let the little things get in the way of the "big picture"? I've spent most of the last couple weeks depressed, yet I've still maintained my grades. I'll only be gone a week. This is important to me Dad."

"I know that Phil. I'm sorry I overreacted. If you really want to go, go. I'm not going to stop you."

* * *

Keely walked through the hallways of H.G. Wells High School with a wide grin on her face. Just that morning she learned that Phil would be returning to her in a few short days. She arrived at her locker to see Matt there waiting for her, who was also smiling.

"What are you so happy about?", Keely asked her friend.

"I was about to ask you the same thing", Matt responded.

"Well, you first."

"I'm just relieved. This past week my dad was away on business, and I was at home by myself. Me and my dad were going through some things. But now it's over. That's why I was so moody the other day during tennis. I'm sorry", Matt explained.

"It's okay. We all have our days. Guess who I just talked to this morning?"

"I haven't a clue."

"Phil!"

It took a moment for Matt to respond. "I thought… Oh, well, that's great Keely. How is he?" Matt did a poor job of faking his enthusiasm, but Keely's thoughts were so preoccupied on Phil that she didn't notice.

"I'll tell you all about it after school. Wanna study for that algebra test at my house?"

"Sure. Sounds good." Matt perked up a bit. At least he wasn't being completely shut out.

After school, Keely and Matt walked to Keely's house to study. Instead, Keely spent most of the afternoon talking about Phil. Matt tried his hardest to stay interested.

"So isn't it kind of risky for Phil to have contacted you, with his situation and all?", Matt asked Keely. The two were sitting next to each other on Keely's couch, with MTV playing in the background.

"What situation?" Keely looked confused.

"You know… the whole witness protection thing."

"Oh, that." Keely forgot about how she explained Phil's sudden disappearance to Matt. "Well… I think the situation has blown over somewhat. He still needs to stay somewhat low key. But not so much that he can't make a trip to Pickford!"

"He's coming here? When?"

"This Friday. He's staying for a week."

"That's great Keely." Matt again sounded less than enthusiastic, and again Keely failed to pick up on it. "Maybe we should do some actual studying? This test is worth a quarter of our final grade."

"Yeah okay. I'm sorry if I bored you, I'm just really excited."

Keely and Matt crammed for the test until late at night. The studying was serious, but never too serious. From time to time, Matt or Keely would offer up a joke, and the two would waste a few minutes giggling. Other times they would interject pop culture references into the conversation, or finish each other's sentences. To the casual observer, Matt and Keely might have looked more like a budding young couple than study buddies. The two had undeniable chemistry.

"You know Matt, I don't know how I would have made it through these past few weeks without you. Thanks for being such a great friend", said Keely, prompted by a particularly hilarious joke by Matt.

Matt didn't respond. Instead, he gazed into Keely's eyes, much like he did at Keely's doorstep after their first coffee date. Keely gazed back. She wasn't afraid like she was the time before. She trusted Matt, and more importantly, she trusted herself. Matt leaned in and kissed Keely on the lips. Keely instinctively pulled away.

"Matt I…" Keely had a dazed look on her face.

"You don't have to explain. I just needed to know if I had a chance. Now I know." Matt collected his things and left.

* * *

Matt arrived home a few minutes later, and was greeted by his father, Christopher McNamara. "Son, we're running out of time. We need to get out of here. Tomorrow. Your lead isn't working out." The elder McNamara was just that, an older looking version of his son.

"It's working out Dad. We just have to wait it out until Friday", Matt explained to his father.

"You better be right. It won't be long before they make an identification. Then we'll really be in deep."

**A/N: Sorry for taking so long to update. With school over, updates will hopefully be more regular. This chapter is sort of my bridging chapter, taking the story from one direction and moving it in another. I've had it planned like this from the beginning, so reread the other chapters for some clues. That's all I'll say for now about that. Thanks for the positive reviews, and please keep them coming!**


	7. Chapter 6: Betrayal

**Author's Note: So, it's been a long time. I got busy with work, and eventually I completely lost interest in this story. But I was bored tonight and decided to return to it. I can't promise I'll continue it (sorry, about the cliffhanger!). But if support is overwhelming, I'll do my best to either continue adding chapters on a semi-regular basis, or at least try to wrap things up as neatly and concisely as possible. Positive (praise or constructive criticism) reviews (more than one sentence please!) will increase the chances of me continuing this story.**

Chapter 6 – Betrayal

Keely Teslow wore a grin across her face. All day she beamed; nothing could change her mood. She even managed to patch things up with Via. The two stood next to each other in the school cafeteria line.

"What are _you_ so happy about?", Via asked. Via and Keely hadn't spoken for weeks. But Keely's outward happiness annoyed Via so much that couldn't resist commenting on it.

"Phil's coming to visit… this afternoon!" Keely said this as if she had forgotten about the fight, as if she had forgotten what Via had said about Phil. Via was wrong. Phil hadn't forgotten about her. And Via knew this; her expression said it all. So the two seamlessly picked up where they had left off, as if nothing had happened. No apologies necessary.

"Oh, I'm so happy for you Keely. We have to get the old group together, us three and Owen. Maybe for a movie tomorrow night?"

"Sounds good. Whatever it is, you let me know. I gotta run, I have a "doctor's appointment" in 20 minutes".

In reality, Phil was supposed to arrive in this century in around 20 minutes, and Keely couldn't bear to wait until the end of the school day to see him.

Keely quickly finished her lunch, and then raced home, passing by the Diffy's old home like she did every day. Only on this day, an old rundown trailer was parked out in front. That's what it looked like, at least. It was actually a time machine, disguised as a 21st century vehicle. Phil had arrived.

Phil stepped out of the time machine and ran towards Keely. The two hugged, and then embraced in a passionate kiss. For both of them, the difficult past few weeks instantly disappeared, and everything was right again.

"So, I'm only here for a week, so I made big plans. Tonight we're gonna fly the skyak…" Phil started, but Keely interrupted.

"Tonight, let's just stay in. My mom's away on business, we'll have the whole place to ourselves. We have a lot of catching up to do."

Phil reluctantly agreed. He wanted to show Keely the time of her life, over the course of a week. Instead, Keely suggested a home cooked 21st century meal, and a movie. And catching up. Despite the minor disappointment, just being with her was plenty good enough.

Phil wouldn't have been as disappointed if he had known that by "catching up", Keely actually meant "making out". Since their reunion, Keely had been flirting with Phil constantly in a way he had never known Keely to do. Over the course of their friendship, Keely never had a steady boyfriend, and the two had only been going out for a day before Phil was forced to return to the future with his family, so Phil never saw firsthand how she acted around boys she liked. And while the two had their awkward moments over the years, outright flirting was kept to a minimal, as each had confined themselves to the "friend zone"; too terrified to make a move and jeopardize a perfect friendship. Looking back, it was now clear to Phil that Keely was waiting for him, and he for her.

So now Phil was getting to know a side of Keely he never knew. Touching. Double entendres. Innuendo. A lot of touching. When Keely suggested "Wedding Crashers" for a movie, Phil looked forward to a good laugh. But naïve Phil Diffy had no idea that when Keely suggested the two watch a movie, she really meant that they'd "watch a movie." He couldn't have, because he was just getting to know this side of Keely Teslow. And he liked it so far.

The movie had ended, the credits had finished, the VCR had stopped itself, and now the local news was playing in the background. Neither Phil nor Keely noticed. They were both too consumed in each other to notice anything else. Phil was lying on the couch with Keely on top, the two lip-locked. Both were shirtless, and now Keely was playing with Phil's belt buckle. Keely had decided that she loved Phil and that she would let passion be her guide this week. It didn't offer any advice on what to do next, however, and Keely hesitated. She didn't know how far she wanted to go with Phil this night.

_Making out is fun enough. Maybe we should just take it slow? But I've loved Phil for two years and we've been separated for so long. There's no reason to hold anything back._

Just then, the doorbell rang. Keely wouldn't have to make this important decision just yet. Keely put her shirt back on and got up to go see who was there. Phil got up to go to the bathroom. Keely got to the door and saw that it was Matt. He looked pale and disheveled.

"Matt, are you okay?", Keely asked, but the concern was not genuine. Her thoughts were clearly elsewhere.

"Yeah, just having a rough night, I was hoping we could hang out…"

"One second. Phil! Where'd you go? There's someone you have to meet!", Keely shouted.

"Keely, I'm so sorry."

"Sorry for what, Matt?"

"This." Suddenly, Matt pulled out a sharp needle and thrust it into Keely's neck. Keely slouched, and Matt caught her as she slipped into unconsciousness, and laid her down on the floor. Then he pulled out a gun. "Where are you, Diffy!", Matt screamed.

In the background, the local news continued to play on the TV. "In other news, local authorities have identified the body found in Pickford Lake to be Matthew McNamara, a local Pickford High student. Matthew was just 16…"


	8. Update: New chapter coming soon

So I lost interest in this story a while ago, and as a result I left some of you hanging, wondering what would happen next. Sorry about that. But I'm considering returning to the story now. Problem is, I had a vision of where this story would go, but now I've sort of forgotten it, so now I need to read through what I wrote and try to remember. In the mean time, any comments/suggestions would be much appreciated. Expect an update by the end of the week.


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